Tuesday, September 30, 2014

Holder Replacement: GOP Wants Judges, Cabinet Members To Be Named Later

WASHINGTON—(TYDN) Senate Republican leaders are demanding five judgeships—and two cabinet members to be named later—to allow President Barack Obama to pick whomever he wishes to succeed Attorney General Eric Holder, TheYellowDailyNews has learned.

Holder announced his resignation last week, and the Senate confirmation process of Obama's successor has spiraled into contentiousness, with each political party seeking leverage, despite the president not even naming a replacement yet.

"The back room horse trading happening here makes a day of stakes racing at Santa Anita look like child's play," one Republican strategist told TheYellowDailyNews on condition of anonymity. "It's all about the good of America. But make no mistake, if we don't get what we want, we'll do whatever we can to thwart Obama's AG pick."

Republicans say they are willing to allow a Senate confirmation to go ahead before January, despite the Nov. 4 midterm elections possibly giving Republicans nearly total control of the outcome. That will happen, however, only if Democrats who now control the Senate privately agree to approve five federal judgeships vetted by Republicans and two Republican-vetted cabinet members to be named later, according to operatives from both parties who have been briefed on the matter and who told TheYellowDailyNews on condition of anonymity.

Democratic strategists were outraged over the demands.

"This is going to be the first real test, whether it's in the lame-duck or early in the new year, whether our Republican colleagues are going to continue to obstruct," a well-placed Democratic strategist told TheYellowDailyNews on condition of anonymity. "Every president deserves to have his attorney general. Still, we might settle for three judgeships and one cabinet member to be named later."

Congressional leaders, meanwhile, said they hope to pass their first piece of legislation this year by year's end, according to well-placed operatives familiar with the matter who told TheYellowDailyNews on condition of anonymity because of the sensitivity of the topic.